Flour-sifter.



PATENTEDJUNB 14, 1904'.

C. B.-GOMBGYS. FLOUR SIFTBR.

APPLICATION rmm DBO. 1, 1903'.

N0 MODEL.

Emir/R W? lgaegfo g.

Patented June 14, 1904.

1 UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

COURTNEY-B. oo-MEeYs, or Asnenovn, MISSOURI.

FLOUR-SIFTEFIi SPECIFICATION forming part'of Letters Patent N0. 762,805, dated June 14, 1904.

Application filed December 1, 1903. I Serial No. 183,352. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern,- I

Be it known that I, COURTNEY B. CoMEeYs,

' acitizen of the United States, residing at Ashgrove, in the county of Greene-and State of Missouri, have invented -a new and. useful Flour-Sifter; of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to flour-sifters, and has for its objects to produce a simple inexpensive device of this character which in practice will eificiently perform its functions and one in which the material will during the sifting process be constantly agitated and fed through the sifter.

To these ends the invention comprises the novel features of construction and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a vertical sectional elevation of my improved device. Figs. '2, 3, and 4 are detail views.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a vessel or receptacle composed of sheet metal and having a handle 2, said vessel being provided with an upper open end 3 and a reticulated bottom 4, composed, preferably, of wiregauze, constituting asifter. Extending transversely of and adjacent to the upper open end 3 of the receptacle is a bar or member 5, formed, preferably, from sheet metal and havinga central bearing-openin g 6, reinforced by a sheet-metal disk 7 the edges of which are folded or crimped around the edges of the bar, while the opposite ends of the latter are bent downward at right angles and are soldered or otherwise secured to the wall of the vessel. The bottom 4 is provided at its center directly beneath and in vertical alinement with the bearing-opening 6 with a similar opening 8, formed by an eyelet or gromet 9, secured through the wire-gauze of which the bottom is composed.

10 indicates a rotary shaft having bearing between its ends in the opening 6 and at its lower end, which is flattened orof other noncircular form, in the bearing-opening 8, said shaft being angularly bent at a point above 'the bar 5 to form a crank arm or handle 11,

upon the outer end of which is provided a knob or other suitable handpiece 12, while beneath the bar 5 the shaft is angularly bent or curved outward toward the side of the vessel to form an agitator or stirrer 13, which will in practice, as the shaft is rotated, stir or agitate the contents of the vessel to prevent packing thereof. It is here to be noted that in bending the shaft to produce the stirrer 13 a shoulder or abutment 13 is provided on the shaft directly beneath the bar 5 and that owing to said shoulder bearing against the lower face of bar 5 upward endwise movement of the shaft is prevented for a purpose which will later appear.

Loosely-mounted upon the lower portion of the shaft 10 above the bottom 4 is an agitator or feeder in the form of a bar 14, having a central non-circular opening 15, which receives the non-circular portion of the shaft, whereby the member will rotate with, but is free to play vertically up and down upon, the shaft. The member, which extends transversely across the bottom between the side walls of the vessel, serves to sweep or spread the flour or other material over the upper face of and feed it through the said bottom or sifter, the advancing edges of the bar being downwardly and inwardly beveled or inclined, as at 16, in order to facilitate this action.

Provided upon the shaft 10 atapoint above and suitably remote from the bottom 4 is a stop or abutment 17, formed, preferably, by a flanged sleeve slipped upon the shaft and serving as a bearing for the upper end of a coiled spring 18, seated upon the shaft and having bearing at its lower end against the bar or member 14, which latter is thereby normally pressed downward upon the sifter, but is permitted to move bodily upward in overriding and crushing lumps of the flour or produce a device of simple construction during the operation of which the material will be constantly agitated to prevent packing and fed evenly and rapidly through the sifter. In attaining these ends it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the precise details herein set forth, inasmuch as minor changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is 1. In a device of the class described, the combination with a receptacle having a reticulated bottom, of a shaft sustained for rotation in the receptacle, a feeder member overlying the bottom and rotatable with the shaft, said member being movable longitudinally of the shaft, and a spring for maintaining said member normally in contact with the bottom, said shaft being angularly bent above the feeder to form an agitator.

2. In adevice of the class described,the combination with a receptacle having a reticulated bottom, of an upper bearing member sustained above said bottom, a lower bearing, a shaft journaled in said bearings and provided with an abutment beneath the upper bearing member, a feeder member movable with the shaft over the reticulated bottom and adapted for longitudinal movement on the shaft, and a spring operatively connected with the shaft and acting on the feeder to maintain the latter yieldably in contact with the bottom and the abutment of the former into contact with the adjacent bearing member.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

COURTNEY B. COMEGYS.

Witnesses:

EARLE S. SWINDLER, H. E. SMITH. 

